U.S. Senate Candidates Don't Debate, So Much As Agree.

NEW YORK — Republican primary voters looking to draw a bright line between the Republican candidates looking to unseat U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., next year may have to do some further digging.

There were flurries of agreement — but not a lot of distinction — among seven of the 10 GOP hopefuls during a candidates debate in a ballroom of the Park Plaza Hotel on the opening day of this year's gala Pennsylvania Society weekend.

None of the candidates would vote to raise taxes under any circumstances — even to pay for road repairs or to go to war. None would vote to confirm a federal judge who supports abortion rights. And all believed that a smaller federal government, with fewer regulations, works better.

"What we're talking about here is: Are we going to increasingly support a bloated federal government that exceeds its authority?" said Sam Rohrer, a former state House member from Berks County. "Those who push for increased revenues are really saying that they want a bigger government."

Some tried to link Casey, serving his fifth year on Capitol Hill, to President Barack Obama. One candidate, Marc Scaringi, repeated the two Democrats' names at least a half-dozen times during a 60-second opening statement.

"I want to stop Bob Casey and Barack Obama from assaulting our liberties and freedoms," said Scaringi, a onetime aide to former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa. "They've got us in our worst economic condition since the Great Depression. This is the Obama/Casey agenda. I feel compelled to go to Washington, D.C., and stop the Obama/Casey agenda in its tracks."

For nearly two hours Friday afternoon, Scaringi and Rohrer, along with candidates Tim Burns, Laureen Cummings, Robert Mansfield, David Christian and Steve Welch fielded questions on domestic and foreign policy. The session was sponsored by the Pennsylvania Business Council, a Harrisburg advocacy group.

Three candidates looking to win the GOP nomination — John Kensinger, John Vernon and Tom Smith — did not participate. Casey was not invited to participate, organizers said.

All the candidates pronounced themselves opposed to abortion rights. And they said they would not vote to confirm a federal judge who recognizes Roe v. Wade as the law of the land.

"I would look to nominating a constitutionalist and someone who does not believe in abortion," said Cummings, a Tea Party activist from Scranton. "I was a teen mom of twins. I believe in protecting life and supporting those judges who believe the same thing."

On another hot-button issue, the candidates agreed that a concealed-carry handgun permit issued in one state should be recognized in other states.

The candidates proved hawkish on foreign policy, arguing that the United States had a responsibility to keep Iranfrom developing a nuclear weapon. They also said the U.S. has to support the interests of Israel, which faces the gravest threat from a nuclear-armed Iran.

"This is a nation that has called for the end of Israel," said Welch, a Chester County businessman. "A nuclear-armed Iran is too risky a proposition for to allow to happen. We cannot take anything off the table."

The candidates pronounced the work of the congressional supercommittee charged with reducing the federal deficit a failure. And they ruled out raising taxes to help close the nation's yawning budget gap and staggering debt.

"Raising taxes is not the solution. Cutting [spending] is the solution," said Christian, a former Army officer from Bucks County.

Later in the debate, in response to a question about whether Penn State was justified in firing football coach Joe Paterno over the university's sexual abuse scandal, Christian admitted that he'd been sexually abused as a child.

Mansfield, a retired Army sergeant from Philadelphia, issued a curt "no" when asked whether he'd vote to raise taxes. Burns, who ran against Democrat Mark Critz for the Johnstown-based 12th Congressional District congressional seat last year, pronounced the committee "doomed from the start."

With the April primary still months away, the candidates have their work cut out for them to win the attention of voters.

A survey by the Democrat-friendly Public Policy Poll released Nov. 28 showed Casey leading Rohrer, Welch, Burns and Smith by double-digits. Rohrer was at the front of the pack of challengers.

Between 17 and 29 percent of the 500 voters who responded to the poll said they didn’t know enough about the GOP challengers to form an opinion. The survey, conducted from Nov. 17 to Nov. 20, had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.